Hesta led the three people behind her to the entrance of the underground museum. She asked Rico and Agnes to wait here, while she sneaked into the museum through another hidden ventilation fan, and then opened the door from the inside.
The first time he followed Hesta into Anna's "luggage room", Rico held his breath for a moment.
Although the exhibition room on the Shengming could be called simple, the density of collections here was far greater than any large museum she had seen before. Those cultural relics from different time and space are densely arranged together. Among the crowded wooden boxes, stuffing and twine, one civilization is stacked on top of another.
Rico leaned into Hesta's ear: "...are these all...that person's 'private property'?"
Hesta nodded silently.
Rico was really stunned for a moment. She recalled Anna's face again, and suddenly felt that all the old impressions of this woman in the past were beginning to loosen. Her smile and silence together formed a new image, so mysterious and so dangerous. .
The four of them came to Anna's study together. After closing the door, Hesta took off the blindfolds of the sisters.
After opening their eyes, Agnes and Meyer were silent for a while. They looked at the expanding bookshelves around them and felt a sense of ancient solemnity coming over them like a tsunami. Just like people always have no scruples in their own bedrooms, there are other occasions in the world where no mistakes are allowed - such as churches, such as tombs...
The study room at this moment gave them such a feeling.
"...What is this place?" Meyer asked softly.
"That's not important," Hesta replied. "From now on, you just stay here and don't go anywhere."
Agnes finally came back to her senses, and she turned her eyes to Hesta, "If you can, just stay here and keep an eye on us. Otherwise, when you move forward, I will set the whole place on fire -"
Hesta laughed, "If you burn it, the fire will be out of control and everyone will die together, including your Gobelin and Roboglier."
"...I will tear up all the books you have here - all, all the books... not a single one will be left -"
"I just wanted to tell you this," Hesta turned around, "There should be some ready-made sleeping equipment here, and there are independent toilets and bathrooms over there. Sleeping and washing are not a problem, but if you need clothes, medicine, If you have food or other things, you have to call someone extra to bring them to you."
Meyer looked at her with a pale face, "Why are you shouting? You are shouting here...can you hear it outside?"
"Of course you can't hear it," Hesta's thumb lightly ran across the old bookshelf beside him, "But as Agnes said just now, you can tear the books or smash the things outside. I believe it will A certain number of people will come out to respond to your needs——"
Agnes came back to her senses: "...This is not your room, is it? These things...are not yours!"
Hesta shrugged, "I didn't say this place was mine either."
There was a very slight noise outside the study, and Rico gestured to Hesta, indicating that he wanted to go out for a look, and asked Hesta to stay here first.
Hesta nodded, understanding.
Agnes's face turned from red to white: "What exactly do you want to do? Do you want to... want to use our hands to destroy -"
"There is no such thing as borrowing or not," Hestad suddenly raised his voice, "I said, you can tear up the things here or smash them, because no matter what choice you two make, no matter which side you are on, you Everyone will get 'absolute immunity'. It's a black and white promise that there won't be any questions...probably."
Agnes and Meyer were confused at the same time - they understood every word Hesta said, but together they were confusing: what exemption, what promise, and where were the black and white words...?
But Hestad obviously would not explain further.
At this moment, Rico returned to the house. Hesta glanced at her and asked, "How was it?"
Rico gestured "No problem" and replied with his mouth: "It's a cat."
She walked up to Hesta and asked softly: "Is it over? Can we go?"
"Let's go."
"Wait!" Meyer spoke again, "Ms. Hesta... please wait..."
Rico looked at the corridor outside the study with some concern, and she patted Hesta on the shoulder: "I'll wait for you at the door."
Sister Agnes and Hesta were the only three people left in the room.
Hesta lowered her eyes slightly: "What's wrong?"
Meyer's voice trembled, "If you... want us to die, why don't you do it directly, why do you torture us again and again--"
"You're wrong," Hesta turned around, "I don't want you to die, and I never wanted to torture you - does this count as torture?"
"...Then why...why are you always staring at us?" Meyer mustered up the courage to look directly into Hesta's eyes. She slowly took a small step forward, and then another small step. , "Why do you want to sow discord between Agnes and Mr. Gobelin, why do you bring us here... If this is not your way of retaliating against us, then why do you-"
"It's a good question, but unfortunately I can't answer it either."
Meyer was stunned, "...what?"
"After boarding this ship, I have met many people who made me feel ridiculous, and heard many words that made me laugh or cry. Whether it is those thorn monks or Roboglier, your 'Eden', Your 'survivalism', your 'doomsday refuge', and what other 'glory of fathers' and 'justice and equal rights'..."
Hesta's voice stopped suddenly, and she frowned, but then she laughed again.
"Although these things are disgusting, when put together... they are really funny."
Agnes's face turned even paler, and she clenched her fists, as if she had been greatly insulted.
"It's just the two of you..." Hesta's voice was like a sigh, and she looked past Meyer to Agnes further back.
"It's just the two of you." She repeated in a low voice, "Whenever I think of what you said to me in the room that day, the way you spoke with certainty, your shining eyes, your passionate tone..."
The study became quiet again.
The two sisters and Hesta looked at each other silently. Hesta's originally expressionless face gradually became covered with a layer of contempt and disgust.
"...Every time I think about it, it makes me feel painful." Hesta murmured in a low voice, "Why is this?"
For a moment, surprise flashed across Agnes and Meyer's faces at the same time, and Hesta had already walked out of the study, and the door closed with a bang.
(End of chapter)
